Berkleemusic.com

[bduffy]

I would have to say: don't bother with audio school. It's a waste of money. I've learned so much from personal experience and sharing knowledge with friends and colleagues, I can't think of a single damned thing that helped me in audio school compared to that. School is just too structured and when you're chomping at the bit to apply your knowledge, you'll be forced to cut 2" tape for 4 hours and learn nothing. Actually, you'd be better off learning yourself, then just lying about your credentials. No one double-checks them. I lied like a sumbitch when I applied for my current job, and they didn't bat an eye. I might as well have put Berklee on my resume!

Anyway, I'd say "no" to audio school. It's just like bartending school; nobody cares.

[jasonsantiago]

# of unpaid internships 5 friends from audio school got: 5 out of 5
# of jobs my 5 friends from audio school got: 0

# of jobs in audio from friends who went to a University and studied music at a university and got a BA: 2 out of 2


...not that everyone who gets a BA in music gets a job, but they are the only people I know who got a job through a music degree. I don't think companies really value an audio school because there are no real standards. It just shows you spent $30K and the school took your money. That's it. Sorry!

The 15K is better spent like this if you can't go to university or something:
spend 10K on equipment (a good computer, sound card, some processors/software) and then the other 5K on living expenses while you advertise that you will record people for no charge. You should be able to live for at least a 6 months off of the 5K and you will learn a CRAPLOAD more. You may even start getting paid to record!

[Mr. Tunes]

Hi Mr Tunes,

Actually, we're talking about Berklee's ONLINE classes. They've only been offering them for a couple years I believe. Same negative points against it would be that you can't use the classes as credits towards a real Berklee degree, which brings the question of whether the quality of education is comparable.

Ah OK this is what I thought cause i briefly looked at the site and it showed 13K or whatever and i know that berklee is more money than that. did you change the subject title in this thread to reflect my confusion?

Anyways, i really don't understand how you can take such courses online. W/O getting into details, a lot of these music tech courses involve getting you comfortable with high-end gear. Some schools boast SSL console learning, others are big into Pro Tools boards.

I think berkleeonline would be great for some things like music theory but I can't see it being that useful for such a tech-heavy field. They can teach you some theory behind mixing but are you going to do your exercises in a sound proof room with nice moniters? probably not.

[Mr. Tunes]

Actually, you'd be better off learning yourself, then just lying about your credentials. No one double-checks them. I lied like a sumbitch when I applied for my current job, and they didn't bat an eye. I might as well have put Berklee on my resume!

That's some really disgusting advice if i've seen it. Your ethics are screwed up and they will bite you in butt one day. The Sound and Music business is a small one and people can see through your lies as people talk. Maybe not on this specific fib, but if you maintain morals and ethics like these you will get shot down eventually.

And I should add that whatever you do is your business but don't start offering advice like that to young producers who don't know any better or you'll damage the integrity of this profession.

[Scotty]

Integrity in this profession? Man, that is a stretch. Most of us make our music money recording people who think they will be rock stars (knowing full well they don't have a snowball's chance in hell) or peddle our tunes for commercial industrials. I love what I do and strive for integrity in my art but the business side of music making doesn't court such high standards. Still, lying about your cv is bad karma and you'll be discovered sooner or later. YOu'll likely damage your reputation; the profession's reputation is sufficiently impuned. You'll likely not mar the surface of that elusive gold record.

[Mr. Tunes]

Integrity in this profession? Man, that is a stretch... Still, lying about your cv is bad karma and you'll be discovered sooner or later. YOu'll likely damage your reputation; the profession's reputation is sufficiently impuned. You'll likely not mar the surface of that elusive gold record.

I think for the reasons you list at the end of your post, you yourself have told me that integrity in this profession is not such a stretch. it's very simple: if producers dont believe in such a thing as integrity in their work, then there simply isn't any. just like college itself, you get what you put in it.

[dirtnap]

The 'spend that money on gear' advice... I've been producing for a few years(since 99). I have enough gear... suitable for my needs so far... short of buying a neve, focusrites, neumanns, and building a sound room, which would be ridiculous for me. Although... I could use a faster computer and a couple flatscreens.

Mr. Tunes, you're right on the bit about not having access to high end gear. The classes seem more focused towards home recording and producing... and using software.

[Mr. Tunes]

The 'spend that money on gear' advice... I've been producing for a few years(since 99). I have enough gear... suitable for my needs so far... short of buying a neve, focusrites, neumanns, and building a sound room, which would be ridiculous for me. Although... I could use a faster computer and a couple flatscreens.

Mr. Tunes, you're right on the bit about not having access to high end gear. The classes seem more focused towards home recording and producing... and using software.

Yeah if you're going to head off to an engineering college it doesnt have to have the best gear but they should have a wide range of it. so you'd want to get your hands on many different mics, portable recorders, seeing the difference between analog vs. digital mixers - things like this. You cant get that from an online course! Your instructors arent going to hold your hand every night in a college so it's important they have enough gear to let you experiment with.

And the tuition for that online course is pretty steep considering they won't let you touch any of these important things. I dont think taking off a year and buying a gear will solve your needs, getting some real experience will and that could be enrolling in a college that suits you or weasling your way into a firm. The problem with interning and low-level jobs is that sometimes you won't be touching any equipment for a long time. College is great if you want to go off and become a freelance artist.

It's a tough issue, and there are many different opinions on it all cause everyone's gone through something different. Maybe someone went to a top college but had horrible classmates? Someone else might've gone through a low-end college and got great mileage out of the program.

[keyman_sam]

I need similar advice too! I'm 18 and right in the middle of applying to college and i'm below poverty line. HOwever my dad sez take berklee and let gov. pay for it (financial aid) and do what you like doing the best.

from what i've read, it seems a bad idea. I downloaded some PDF course files from berklee shares and it seems pretty basic (not being egoistic/arrogant, just saying the truth). So i'm in a dilemma whether as to get into engineering (like comp sci) or getting into music.

Help please! Advice from experienced folks like you can really help starters like me!

[Mr. Tunes]

Help please! Advice from experienced folks like you can really help starters like me!

yo Keyman! Alright let's get you on the path to success. Answer me these questions:

- where do you live?
- how far are you willing to relocate?
- where do you see yourself in the music industry?
- do you want to be a musician who is hired to perform in bands, ie a session player or a sideman?
- do you want to be a film composer?
- do you want to engineer recordings, recording the groups and mixing them, as well this can involve mixing large concerts
- do you want to be a sound designer for film and video games? a sound designer edits sounds into place, or works on creating new sounds with field recordings and synthesis. and then there is the type of sound design which is very similar but a different skillset sometimes where you are creating sounds for sampler companies. how about making samplers?! (your comp sci degree)

or do you want to do ALL of these things?

If you can figure out what your interests are, it will help you figure out the right college. A place like berklee might not be that bad for you since they have a wide range of programs to mix and match with. you can do a double major in music business and mix that with a production/synthesis program... or mix a synthesis program with film scoring.

you also might want to consider going to a more standard college/university where you can study things other than just music. you have to be well rounded these days. in a standard bachelor's program you will be able to study things like media and society, maybe a bit of graphics, music history, music theory, sound physics, comp sci, drama, business etc. and if you pick the right college you can learn more technical things mixed with the artistic. you will also meet many types of people from all walks at a standard college. maybe it's not good to pigeon hole yourself with just music and audio nuts in the beginning of your education experience?

i've been through both types of education and i feel so good about myself. when i was taking the sound design program at VFS a lot of people could tell that i had some sort of other formal education behind me. when i would collaborate with a filmmaker on what kind of music they needed i was able to look deeper than just writing music and found ways at tapping at the heard of the matter which is Communication. or how about when i had to negotiate with a client outside of all the school stuff? i learned those things while taking your standard B.A. degree at Western and burying my face in books for three years(as well as just doing these things and practising with actual clients and scenarios). you won't develop your brain as much at a strictly technical, mixingboard-monkey school which you can pick from dozens these days when you flip through the magazines. but you will develop your chops at a tech school that's for sure. i should also emphasize that being well-rounded helps you make a living in an economy that is changing faster than a baby's diaper. you need a fall back plan. if you're 18 years old you have a bit of time to develop a career path that will be fun and financially rewarding for you. what if every human went deaf in ten years and the music and sound business got wiped out? how would you cope? food for thought!